A COACH from Hope who started a women’s cricket team from scratch and built it up using hockey and football players has been named Community Coach of the Year by Sport Wales.

Tim Newhouse received the award for his efforts to increase participation in women’s cricket.

Late in 2011 he lobbied for Hope Hawks Cricket Club to be included in the Cheshire Women’s Cricket League.

At the time he had recruited no players, but he scoured local teams in other sports for potential cricketers and ran cricket taster sessions.

He also made efforts to ensure that at the start and end of the season the cricket fixtures did not overlap with the women’s hockey and football season.

Every home game was scheduled at a different ground in Flintshire to further spread the appeal and the Hawks this year completed their first season in Division Three.

Welsh Sports Minister Huw Lewis said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to Tim and to those who were nominated for an award, for the tireless work they do to support and nurture our current, and future, sporting superstars.”

Sport Wales plans to double the number of sports coaches and volunteers in Wales to around 250,000 by 2016.

For more on coaching and volunteering in Wales and the Coach of the Year awards, visit www.sportwales.org.uk.